An unforgettable and heart breaking story. I couldn’t put the book down! I can’t wait to read more by Paige Toon! The ending had me shook

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I’ve never read anything from this author, but I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to do so again. It’s filled with memorable and relatable characters—Wren and Anders, of course, but also Bailey and Jonas. Wren & Bailey’s dad and Sheryl also play significant roles, and there are a few other supporting characters who are also easy to visualize as people you know.

Recently dumped by her fiance, Wren leaves England to spend some time with her dad and his wife in Indiana. Her half-sister Bailey, recently married, also lives nearby so it’s an opportunity to build a relationship with her. Space from her ex- provides Wren with the time to reflect on her life and her relationships, and ultimately, to compare what she thought she felt about Scott to how she really feels for Anders. But Anders, at the neighboring farm, is clear from the start that he lost his wife and he’s not ready to let her go. The rest of the story revolves around the friendship between the four friends (sisters and brothers) and the growing romance between Wren and Anders. Both try desperately not to fall in love, but as Wren explains why her fiance dumped her, “Can’t help who you fall in love with, right?” Anders has some skeletons in his closet that need to be cleared out before he can fully give himself to Wren, and seeing him try to do that is heartbreaking.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters, the descriptions of life in rural America, and the poignant issue of the vows we make to others and how we can allow them to destroy us when utterly unforeseen circumstances prevent us from keeping them. Anders is wracked with guilt over a promise he made to his wife before he lost her and needs her parents to free him from the misery he lives with each and every day. The question is whether they can see beyond their own grief to recognize that Laurie loved him and would have wanted him to have love again. As I said, it’s a heartwrenching story, and I highly recommend it.

"Only Love Can Hurt Like This" by Paige Toon is an emotional and captivating love story that left a profound impact on me. The book poses the poignant question of whether love is worth risking it all for, and this question sets the stage for a heart-wrenching journey.

The protagonist, Wren, finds solace on her father's farm following a painful breakup where she crosses paths with Anders, a man who has also experienced loss and struggles to move forward. The connection between Wren and Anders feels perfect, but Anders is burdened by a heavy secret that could change everything if he allows himself to fall in love.

Toon masterfully creates an atmosphere that is both emotional and riveting, making it impossible to put the book down. The storyline explores the consequences and sacrifices one must grapple with when moving forward in the face of secrets and challenges. As a reader, you found yourself deeply invested, eagerly contemplating the various ways the story could unfold.

Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster with "Only Love Can Hurt Like This." Grab some tissues as you delve into the pages, fully immersed in the heavy, shattering secret that drives the narrative. Paige Toon weaves a tale that will have you pondering the power of love and the paths it can lead us down.

Overall, "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" is an unforgettable love story that tugs at the heartstrings and explores the complexities of relationships. It is a book that will leave you questioning the lengths one should go for love and pondering the multitude of ways this heartfelt tale could unfold.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wren lives in England and has just gone through a painful breakup with her fiance. He realized he's fallen in love with someone else. Wren keeps running into her ex and his new girlfriend around town and needs to get away. She decides she'll visit her father in America, the father who left her mother and started another family. On her first evening at the local bar with her half sister, she see Anders and she's drawn to him immediately and finds out he's the next door neighbor her father. There's definitely an attraction between the two of them but Anders will barely touch her. Something is behind this behavior and then the big secret is revealed. It's BIG. Enjoyable and a perfect beach read.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. Though the writing was eloquent, it was the plot that I couldn't connect with. I am sure that there will be many people who love this book, but for me, I think it was hard to get through.

I wish I could give more than five stars for Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon

I feel like this is a book for the ages. Trauma. It's like a writer who might be a trauma-informed therapist turned writer writes a beautiful, transformative love story!

This book definitely made me a Paige Toon fan who will be reading ALL her books past and present. Her writing style is as if she's a friend opening the door into the life of a friend trusting you with their hopes, desires, secrets all of it.

This story's setting is written with you feel the setting the houses, the food, the smells and especially the emotional pain of the characters. How does one recover from the trauma of loving someone and they tell you they found someone else when they are your fiance. A serious relationship with building plans for a future together. That is trauma and Paige treats it for what it is. Not fluff but now her character is dealing with rejection and not letting it knock her down and also not letting it get the best of her and definitely not letting it sink into her bones. She is now, Wren, her protagonist trying to keep it to just letting it knock the wind out of her sails which is major work to do.

Paige Toon writes smart and gives women the complexities they deserve and the respect. She has definitely earned my respect as a reader and I can not recommend this book or author enough.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher G.P. Putnam's & Sons for the opportunity to read and review Paige Toon's Only Love Can Hurt This Much and for putting this book out into the world!

This book was a little slow for me, but once I got into the rhythm of it it was really good. The twist was an eye opener and made you really think about what would I do if I was in this situation. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Sometimes I just need a good contemporary romance in my life and this one was it! I’ve been saving my review for #Indy500 day. Anders works for an Indy race car team and spends his off time on his family’s farm in Indiana. Across the globe Wren is recovering from a broken relationship when she returns to mend her heart in Indiana with her family and crosses paths with Anders. I don’t want to say too much without giving anything away but I was swept up in this story! I really loved all the mentions of the Indy racing circuit also!
.
Thank you @netgalley and @prhaudio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
.

If you are seeking a five star love story that isn’t afraid to tackle some of life’s most complex issues, Paige Toon’s Only Love Can Hurt Like This, is the perfect book for you!

An abrupt breakup leaves Wren seeking solace far away from her ex fiancé and the woman he chose over her. Desperate to put as much space between her and the newly happy couple, Wren finds herself in America. Staying with her father and his new family has historically been difficult. But, with her heart already broken, Wren figures things can’t get any worse. Or can they?

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is an exploration of commitment and abandonment. While most authors would reduce commitment and abandonment to polar opposites, Toon does not. She brilliantly writes how the two concepts are separated by a thin line, one that is not easily navigated.

It is hard to review and discuss this book without giving away key plot lines. Therefore in an effort to not spoil the book I will simply say it is a MUST read. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more from the talented Paige Toon.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Paige Toon for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I did enjoy the story, but I just don't think it was for me. The pacing ended up being too slow for me and it was super repetitive. I can see why readers enjoyed it though!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This book is classified as Women's Fiction and Romance. I'm not sure how I lean, but I think it's more heartbreak than either of those. When Wren loses her fiancée to another woman, she decides to visit her father who had left her and her mother and built a life with a new wife and family in the states. Sadness...written well, but sadness. Son of the neighbors, Anders is still grieving the loss of his wife and is worrying about his own brother's mental health. Sadness. As Wren and Anders both try to heal, they are drawn together but when Wren discovers there's more to Anders' grief she believes staying will only hurt more. A slow burn romance fraught with angst.
This has some amazing and complex characters who you will connect with immediately. And perhaps why it will pull at your heartstrings so strongly.

I read this one back in May and I really enjoyed it! Paige Toon is such a great author who really knows how to tell a story. The romance piece was swoon worthy. However, I liked that it wasn't the only piece of the book. The novel also centered around family and the important role they play in our lives. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This reminded me a little of a Katherine Center book. Wren was in a rut but didn't realize it until she sees her fiance with another woman. As she flees from that heartbreak, she discovers family, a new direction for her career and enjoyment in the simple pleasures in life.

Unlike other romances, where "the secret" is an over-dramatized thing that most well-adjusted people would be able to rationalize and move on from, this secret has some genuine weight and has Anders facing a true moral challenge.

I have the feeling that this will be part of a series and I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up the next one.

This book was everything. My first Page Toon, I fell in love with her writing and this story. This book will give you all the feels. Highly recommend.

This story was promising something special, something incredibly heartfelt and beautiful and I found that it fell flat in most aspects. The story itself felt incredibly repetitive and it never seemed to pick up speed. It was a slow-burn and I understand the expectations I must have going into something with that, but I still found it lacking! I really, really wanted to like this story and I think there were certain twists and turns that should have hit for me, but I was reading them with a straight face. I will say that I have not read any former Toon books. I’m hoping to dive into her catalog and hopefully find something of hers I like! This was in no way the worst book I’ve ever read, but something that I wish had been something else.

A complex emotional story about relationships and family. A slow burn romance with a lot of angst and miscommunication. Wren and Anders story feels very realistic and well-conceived. I enjoyed getting to know Wren's backstory in the first half of the book and was intrigued by the mysteriousness of Ander's life when he was not at his family's farm in Indiana. As we learned about Ander's life away from the farm, I was glad to hear his side of the story in his own words when the story was told using alternating points of view.
The rural Indiana farm was a wonderful setting and the side characters of Bailey and Jonas brought so much to the story. There were many positives within this story, especially that it reminds us that communication within relationships is very important.
I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging and emotional book and highly recommend it to those who like books about familial and romantic relationships. I am grateful to Penguin Group, Putnam and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Paige Toon, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Be prepared to feel all the emotions while reading "Only Love Can Hurt Like This." This book too me on an emotional rollercoaster. Do not go into this thinking it will be a happy RomCom. There were so many layers to this book and the characters. Both of our main character's have really gone through it. While we learn about Wren's relationship in the very beginning of the book, we don't learn more about Ander's until the end. I was not prepared to love the characters as much as I did and to feel the way I did. "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" shows the love of a sibling bonds, the different stages of grief, and the possibility of love after loss. It was beautifully written and I can't wait to read more from Paige Toon.

Rating: 4.5 stars

A charming romance that takes a bit to become invested in. The story does focus on character development. This is a good in between book if you are waiting for something to come out but have nothing else to read.

This was such a heartbreaking, but beautiful story. It read like a lifetime movie, which are always emotional and hook you from the start.

Wow! I have never read this author before and had no expectations for this book. It absolutely blew me away! I loved everything about it - the characters, the settings, the plot. Simply fantastic!

"Only Love Can Hurt Like This" is a complex story about families and relationships. It is layered with so many feelings and emotions --obligation and loyalty, love and loss, joy and grief, hope and sorrow. Once I started, I became entirely invested in Wren and Anders and how things would turn out for them. The journeys they had to take were raw and tender and heartbreaking and beautiful. It put me through an emotional wringer.

This isn't a one note book. The supporting characters were fully drawn and added so much to the overall plot. I especially loved the arc of Jonas' character and the development of Wren's relationship with her American-based family.

The vivid descriptions of the Indiana countryside, Indianapolis, and Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England brought Wren and Anders world life and drew me even further in.

I highly recommend this lovely, poignant, and ultimately uplifting book and will definitely be reading more by Paige Toon.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book.